Why Having a Free Website is a Bad Idea

Why Having a Free Website is a Bad Idea?

The thought of getting a free website is tempting. The internet is full of companies offering free website hosting even for self-hosted WordPress. You’re probably wondering what’s the catch? Why isn’t everyone else using a free WordPress website? In this article, we will share reasons why having a free website is a bad idea and something that you should AVOID at all costs.

Why Having a Free Website is a Bad Idea

1. It looks unprofessional

Whether you’re marketing yourself or your business, having a website address like cool widgets.my free website.com is not going to make a great first impression.

2.Extremely slow

Most free website hosting providers put hundreds of websites sharing the same server. This makes all their websites load at very low speeds. Slow websites create the bad user experience and are bad for SEO.

3. Fishy practices

Your data is not yours and they can do with it whatever they like. Your site could disappear any day for no reason and you’ll lose all your information.

Companies offering free websites usually try to upsell you somehow in fishy ways. They might charge your credit card without authorization for “renewal” services after a few months and other fishy practices.

4. Vulnerability

Companies offering free websites won’t have a security staff and most likely won’t run security checks on their servers. That makes it a massive target for attacks and hacks. If you have sensitive data on your site, you’re risking a lot.

5. You are the product

If you’re not paying for it, they’re selling you. Your site could be used for hidden link farms, or they could sell your information and data, maybe even use your name for malware distribution. Always watch out for the hidden cost of the “free” tag.

What can you do?

If you’re serious about getting a website but your budget is limited, you can always get a professional to give you a hand and recommend you options that are within your budget.